Children's home run by Approach-Development (NE) Ltd in Redcar and Cleveland

Inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

 The compliance notice issued on 21 October 2016 has not been met.  Recruitment procedures continue to be a weakness of the home, with inadequate checks being carried out on all staff.  The manager’s monitoring of practice in the home lacks rigour and robust analysis.  There is a lack of clear understanding about the information contained in referral and placement documents from the placing authority and the impact of this on the care to be provided.  Not all staff have completed the necessary in-depth training courses in relation to the safeguarding and protection of children and young people.  Not all serious incidents are shared with the regulator. There is no management stability. The previous manager has left, and the current acting manager has only been in post for three weeks. An application to be registered has been submitted.  Impact risk assessments are not undertaken prior to or at the point of

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The children’s home provision is inadequate because:

admission. These would enable staff to look at behaviours and risks that may impact on the group of young people as individuals.  Risk assessments do not contain effective strategies to inform practice to mitigate risk. When strategies are detailed, these have not been followed by staff.  The statement of purpose does not accurately reflect the services provided.  The home has no admissions and discharge register in place for children and young people.  Sanctions are used in the home but not noted either in a central log or in young people’s files.  Staff files do not demonstrate that a robust induction and probationary period are in place, and there is no evidence of any evaluation of staff competence.

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The children’s home strengths

 The home is large, well decorated and maintained, with areas for individual and communal activities.  The behaviour management plans developed by the new acting manager are comprehensive and detail strategies for staff to manage behaviours.  The newly appointed manager shows understanding of how to meet the needs of individual young people.  Staff promote family contact, helping young people to maintain their identities and links to their culture and heritage.  Some young people have made progress in their education.  There is a strong awareness of culture and diversity in the home.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*12: In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (iv) manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 23/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must ensure that they enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

(a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the 23/01/2017 home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

(ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

14: In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (c) that each child’s relevant plans are followed. 23/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with— 23/01/2017 any other provision of these regulations; or any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16(1)(5)(6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

* The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that— the individual is of integrity and good character; the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(2)(a)(3)(a)(b)(c)) 23/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(1)(a)(b)(4)(a)(b)) 31/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out— how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be 23/01/2017 used in relation to children in the home. (Regulation 35(1)(a)(b)) In particular the policy must detail that sanctions be recorded both centrally and on individual children and young people’s files.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— maintain in the home the records in schedule 4; ensure that the records are kept up to date; and retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(2)(a)(b)(c)) 23/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child— is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. A notification made under this regulation— must include details of— the matter; the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter must be made or confirmed in writing.

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Requirement Due date

23/01/2017 (Regulation 40(1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)(5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must carry on the children’s home in such manner as is likely to ensure that the home will be financially viable for the purpose of achieving the aims and objectives set out in the statement of purpose. The registered person must— ensure that adequate financial records are maintained and kept up to date in respect of the home; and supply a copy of the financial records and most recent accounts to HMCI at HMCI’s request. (Regulation 47(1)(2)(a)(b)) 23/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether— children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. Specifically, this report needs to be accurate and to be evaluative rather than describing the service. (Regulation (44)(4)(a)(b)) 23/01/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: − detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose; − detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications); − detail the process for managing and improving poor performance; − detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation

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Recommendations

33(4)); and − keep appropriate records for staff in the home. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that

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Recommendations

distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process: Children’s homes regulation amendments 2014: Advice for

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Recommendations

children’s homes providers on new duties under regulations that came in to effect in January and April 2014. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards'', page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and manages this children’s home. It may accommodate up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/10/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

24/02/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Inadequate

Failures in the oversight of the running of the home have led to significant shortfalls relating to the protection and promotion of young people’s welfare. Recruitment and vetting practice has not improved. Weaknesses exist across a wide range of areas including risk management and care planning practice. This impacts negatively on young people’s experiences in the home. There are two young people resident in the home. Both were admitted in an emergency. This is not an identified criterion for admission, in line with the home’s statement of purpose. In addition, the document suggests that there are staff in professionally qualified roles. This is not a true reflection of the actual staff working at the home. The high staff turnover has resulted in the list of staff working at the home being inaccurate. This does not provide placing authorities with a true understanding of staffing and increases the likelihood of inappropriate placements.

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Inadequate

Decision-making processes in relation to new admissions to the home are not recorded. Staff do not undertake impact assessments at the point of, or prior to, the admission of young people. This makes it difficult to evaluate if admissions are safe and appropriate. There is no evidence of evaluation of the needs of the young person referred against the stated aims of the placement. The result is that there are potential risks left unexplored, leaving young people vulnerable. Young people live in a comfortable and spacious home environment and are able to choose their own bedroom and decorate it to their taste. However, they present as unenthusiastic and use language that lacks expression, when referring to life at the home, stating, ‘It’s alright’ or ‘OK’. Educational outcomes for young people are mixed. One young person has improved attendance from their starting point. As this is a recent improvement, the

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Inadequate

long-term impact is difficult to assess. The other young person is not engaged in any education or employment, Staff struggle to maintain good daily routines and structure with this young person. A professional involved with the young person said, ‘They placate [child], rather than manage [child]’ Key-working sessions take place to allow young people and staff opportunities to discuss specific topics. However, these are reactive in nature and do not always relate to the aims of the placement. As a result, there has been limited impact on young people’s behaviour and meeting their identified goals. Staff members facilitate and, when appropriate, supervise contact arrangements between young people and their families and those important to them. This helps them to maintain important cultural and community links, and offers opportunities to maintain faith connections, should the young people wish this. Such awareness

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Inadequate

of culture and diversity is a strength in the home. Young people maintain friendships with peers in their local and home communities. However, both young people struggle to maintain the boundaries around returning to the home, and either return late or stay away overnight. Staff are often aware of where the young people are but do not always undertake searches of the local area or pick up young people, due to a lack of transport. This leaves young people, on occasion, potentially at risk. Care planning incorporates most aspects of the young people’s individual needs. These demonstrate that specific targets for engaging with the young people, promoting contact with family and engaging in suitable education provisions are being set. However, records are not always detailed enough to include all relevant needs and strategies, to enable staff to meet these targets. The result is that young people do not have all their needs addressed by the placement.

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Inadequate

Good multi-agency partnership working ensures that the young people link with the agencies necessary to meet their identified needs. However, staff struggle to assist young people in engaging with these services, and important appointments are missed. This limits the ability of professionals to impact on the emotional health and well-being of young people. Young people attend health appointments sporadically and do not always engage with the advice and treatment given. Staff make efforts to assist, but a lack of transport and effective relationships makes this difficult to achieve.

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Inadequate

There is a high turnover of staff. This is likely to create uncertainty for the young people placed and impacts on how young people build long-term positive relationships with adults in the home. The recruitment of staff continues to be an issue at the home. Recruitment checks are not thorough or robust. This means that staff are working at the home without adequate checks and references. This is the case even with the two newest members of staff and the new regulation 44 visitor. This practice continues to leave young people potentially at risk, as identified in previous inspections. The practice of monitoring safeguarding concerns and related records at the home are ineffective. Serious incidents identified during the inspection had not been shared with Ofsted. This evidences a continued lack of understanding of the regulation in relation to alerting the regulator of such incidents leaving Ofsted

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Inadequate

unable to monitor progress and to ensure appropriate safeguards. Only one member of staff has received training in the prevention of child sexual exploitation. This is in spite of some young people being at significant risk. Not all staff have had basic safeguarding training. For those that have, the training matrix does not identify the areas that the insufficient half-day training and the online course covered. This is of particular concern, given the complex needs of the young people recently placed. The lack of in-depth training in safeguarding practice is likely to impact on the effectiveness of staff within their day-to-day practice. Risk assessments do not contain effective strategies to inform staff practice that would enable them to mitigate risk. When strategies are detailed, these have not been followed by staff. For example, a strategy for those at risk of child sexual exploitation identified that they should be monitored when using electronic

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Inadequate

equipment, such as tablets and computers, to prevent any further risks through social media. However, there is no evidence of this practice occurring, despite the high risk associated with some young people. In addition, there is no social media policy in place to guide staff in relation to the dangers posed to young people. This lack of training, insight and action increases the risk to young people. Incidents of missing are diminishing. However, late returns and unauthorised absences are still occurring for one young person. Staff are aware of the potential risks to the young person and encourage him to keep them informed of his whereabouts. The young person does not engage sufficiently with staff and is not open with them about his activities. This leaves him vulnerable. Young people’s daily recordings and files show evidence of bullying behaviour taking place. Staff address such behaviour, but there is no central log maintained

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Inadequate

at the home that enables staff to reflect on the incidents and develop strategies to prevent further occurrences. In addition, there is no risk assessment in place of the areas of the home or times of the day when the likelihood of such behaviours increases. Without such an assessment and oversight, staff have no guidance on when to be more vigilant and take effective action to protect young people. When staff witness negative behaviours, they attempt to manage them through implementing boundaries and the use of appropriate sanctions but these are not recorded. This limits the manager’s ability to ensure that the practice in the home is safe, effective and evaluated. Appropriate health and safety procedures and partnership working with agencies, such as the local fire service, ensure that physical safeguards are in place. Regular fire drills take place and are recorded well. Judgement grade

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Inadequate

The leadership and management of this home are ineffective. There has been no registered manager since October 2015. The previous manager left suddenly and without notice. The newly appointed manager has worked at the home as a deputy manager since February 2016 and started in the new role three weeks prior to this inspection. The new manager could not articulate the strengths and weaknesses of the home in spite of having worked as the deputy for several months which was an operational role. Therefore the impact of the new appointment cannot be fully evaluated at this early stage. An application with Ofsted for registered manager status has been submitted. The responsible individual and the business manager have attempted to maintain the running of the home in the absence of a manager. This has led to some confusion in roles and responsibilities in the home for staff, young people and stakeholders. There are gaps and shortfalls in monitoring the records in the home. For example,

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Inadequate

monthly summaries identify a need for management oversight and sign off but are not completed. The lack of effective staff meetings from which staff can reflect and learn indicate a lack of management insight leading to practice issues and gaps left unaddressed. The management team has made good attempts to employ staff with a range of skills, to benefit young people. These include employing workers with relevant degrees and some with a background of previous residential care, the youth service or education. However, shortfalls linked to the recruitment of these workers have not been adequately explored, which leaves young people vulnerable. Only 50% of the staff have the requisite level 3 qualification at this time. There is no workforce plan in place, which details the staffing structure, staff support and training plans. Without this, the manager has no formal mechanism by which to record and review

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Inadequate

the staffing arrangements, to ensure that they meet the needs of young people. All staff undertake an induction programme to equip them for their roles. However, this is evidenced by a tick-box list and does not include evidence of competence being tested. This knowledge is supplemented by mandatory courses, including safeguarding children and young people, first aid, medication and behaviour management. Nevertheless, until all the staff team members have completed this training, they are not fully equipped to meet the needs of young people. Under the previous manager, staff were receiving improved supervision. That manager has now left, and the newly appointed manager’s ability to offer staff member’s appropriate supervision is difficult to assess. In the interim period between managers, some staff received supervision carried out by a business consultant at the home, who is not listed within the statement of purpose and who

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Inadequate

does not have the relevant social care background to offer reflective practice supervision. As a result, the quality of staff members’ supervision has diminished. At the time of the inspection, the new manager had not received her own professional supervision from a suitably qualified practitioner. This may inhibit her own professional progress and development at this crucial time. The quality of the regulation 44 reports was raised at the previous inspection. The independent visitor has left and the registered individual has proposed a replacement visitor. However, during this inspection, no satisfactory recruitment information was evident in relation to this appointment. The home’s locality risk assessment does not contain all of the required elements and consultation with other professionals. This limits the impact of the assessment with staff and young people unaware and unclear about potential risks in the

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Inadequate

community. The home does not maintain an admissions and discharge register. Required documents, which record details of the young people who live and have lived at the home, are not held centrally with all required information. Furthermore, there is no similar document with all the required information in relation to staff. Such documents are essential in line with the regulations to gain a full knowledge of the young people; and staff who work or have worked at the home. During the inspection, accounts relating to the ongoing finances of the home were requested. These were not provided by the responsible individual therefore a requirement is set to provide Ofsted with these accounts. This is to provide the regulator with written confirmation of the financial stability of the home for all young people placed. Shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home are widespread. The responsible individual has failed to demonstrate effective supervision of the home,

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Inadequate

to ensure that it operates in a manner, which protects and promotes young people’s safety and welfare. There have been repeated requirements, in particular regulation 40 and two compliance notices in relation to regulation 32 that have not been met at successive inspections. Oversight of key areas, including recruitment, risk management strategies, the implementation of risk assessments, use of sanctions, serious incidents and care planning, is inadequate. These deficiencies have a negative impact on the safety and well-being of young people placed.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children’s home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children’s home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children’s home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children’s home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or that result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children’s home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children’s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Text phone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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